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Desperate hunt for missing sisters, aged 12 and 25, feared dead in Montecito mudslides as Catholic school founder, real estate broker and father, are among the 16 buried alive in exclusive suburb tragedy

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

By Paul Martin

At least 16 people died in southern California after downpours caused mudslides northwest of Los Angeles on Tuesday
Most deaths occurred in Montecito, a wealthy neighborhood of about 9,000 people home to celebs Oprah Winfrey, Rob Lowe and Ellen DeGeneres
Sawyer Corey, 12, and her stepsister Morgan Corey, 25, have not been seen since the mudslide hit their Montecito home
Friends, family and celebs including actress Sarah Paulson have launched a social media search for the missing sisters
Roy Rohter, founder of St. Augustine Academy, real estate broker Rebecca Riskin, 61, and Dave Cantin have been been reported as dead by friends after the disaster
Grandparents Alice, 78, and Jim Mitchell, 89, and their dog Gigi, are still missing as are John McManigal, 64, a father-of-six, and retired nurse Josie Gower, 69,
Rescue crews used helicopters to pluck more than 50 people who were trapped in homes and on rooftops
The Critical coastal highway US 101 was shut down for 30-mile stretch from Ventura to Santa Barbara

Family and friends are desperately hunting for two sisters who are missing and feared dead in the California mudslides as the death toll rises to 16.

Sawyer Corey, 12, and her stepsister Morgan Corey, 25, have not been seen since downpours sent mud and boulders roaring down fire ravaged hills in the wealthy neighborhood of Montecito on Tuesday.

The sisters were asleep in their home with Sawyer’s twin sister, Summer, and their mother, Carie Baker, when the mudslide hit.

Baker and Summer Corey were later rescued and taken to hospital in critical condition.

Friends and family have launched a social media search for Saywer and Morgan, whose whereabouts are still unknown. Actress Sarah Paulson even joined the search effort, sharing a picture of the girls after one of the assistant directors on American Horror Story told her they were missing.

‘Got a devastating email from @nicoleburkead our 1st Ad on AHS, asking me to get the word out about her friend’s children- Please help if you are able,’ she wrote on Instagram.

At least 16 are dead and many more are still missing after the mudslides slammed into homes, covered highways and swept away vehicles early on Tuesday when more than a half-inch (1.5cm) of rain fell in five minutes, a rate that far exceeds the normal flash flood threshold.